If the man suspected of killing six people and seriously injuring another at a home in Green Pond, South Carolina, had been prosecuted for prior alleged crimes, he would have likely been in prison on July 2 instead of inside the home at 779 Folly Creek Lane.
Ryan Lenard Manigo, 33, of Walterboro, was arrested after the lone survivor of the alleged attack, a 13-year-old girl, identified and provided a description of him despite her serious injuries. Manigo was arrested a short time later.
It was not his first run-in with the law. Manigo’s alleged criminal acts date back to 2008 when he was charged with second-degree burglary. That case was dismissed by the solicitor’s office, according to Colleton County records. Colleton County is part of South Carolina’s 14th Judicial Circuit, which is led by Solicitor Duffie Stone.
Stone is the same solicitor who gave convicted killer and accused swindler Alex Murdaugh a badge to act as a volunteer solicitor.
Manigo’s next alleged dust-up with the law was in 2011 when he was charged with kidnapping, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and armed robbery. He pleaded guilty to the armed robbery charge, but the kidnapping and weapon possession charges were not prosecuted. According to South Carolina Department of Corrections PIO Chrysti Shain, Manigo was in prison from March 31, 2011, to Aug. 1, 2013, when he was released to probation in Colleton County. According to sentencing records in the public index, he was to spend two years on probation after his release from prison at the order of Judge Perry M. Buckner
In South Carolina, the maximum sentence for armed robbery is 15 years.
Manigo found himself in trouble again in April 2015 when he was charged with criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping. The solicitor did not prosecute the kidnapping charge and the grand jury did not indict him for the criminal sexual conduct charge. He was also cited in 2018 for speeding.
The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office and SLED have been tight-lipped about what happened in the lead-up to the July 2 murders, and they have not released a motive.
While the authorities have only identified 50-year-old Michelle Marie Wright and Manigo’s 11-year-old daughter, Sariyah, as victims, family members have taken to social media and identified the others killed in what they are calling the Magwood Massacre. Family members list the other victims as Maggie Magwood, the 101-year-old homeowner; 73-year-old Amose Magwood, who they call Uncle Geech; Michelle’s boyfriend, who they call Hot Rod or Jefferson; and seven-year-old Shamiah Rutledge, who is the daughter of Michelle Buncombe and Dante Rutledge — Manigo’s Walterboro neighbors.
When arrested on July 2, Manigo was charged with attempted murder of the 13-year-old as well as murder of his daughter and of Wright with more charges pending as autopsies are completed. He was ordered to be held without bond during his initial appearance in court on July 3. Manigo is represented by public defender David S. Matthews, according to court records.
There have been no public updates about the condition of the surviving victim.
Contact Beth Braden
Beth Braden
Beth Braden is an award-winning journalist with experience covering government, education and crime and courts for more than 10 years. In addition to following breaking news and writing feature stories about life in her home state of Tennessee, her by-line appears on several internationally known websites.
Beth is passionate about communicating complex information in an easy-to-understand manner and she loves to pore over public records and court documents as she seeks out patterns and context to share with her audience. In her spare time, she enjoys quilting, strange museums, and good cups of coffee.
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